


Love exists

by NotSoCliche



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26171881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotSoCliche/pseuds/NotSoCliche
Summary: Annabeth is happy. She has two loving parents, a her dream job and an amazing boyfriend. Percy has a broken family and has vowed to never fall in love. OR the story where Annabeth falls for the wrong person but he just might be right for her. Two-shot. Mortal AU.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Juniper/Grover Underwood, Katie Gardner/Travis Stoll
Kudos: 9





	Love exists

**Author's Note:**

> Characters may seem OOC. Cross-posted on FF.net under the same username.

Annabeth had the perfect life. Athena and Frederick Chase were the best parents Annabeth could have asked for, sure they had problems showing affection to her and Malcom but they were good parents nonetheless. She had her dream job, being an architect at 24 with a respectable position in the company she worked in. And Luke, he was dreamy, with short-cropped sandy blonde hair that looked golden in the sunlight and bright blue eyes that twinkled whenever he found something amusing, he made her the object of several girls’ envy. They met in NYU at the start of her freshman year, Annabeth immediately smitten by his good looks. The handsome junior year student though, only asked her out by the end of the year. They were going 4 years strong by now and Annabeth couldn’t be happier. She always wished for a romance like her high-school sweetheart parents and it looked like Luke was that for her.

* * *

It was just another ordinary day and Annabeth was getting coffee in the morning from the café opposite her office building when she bumped, quite literally, into someone, managing to save her scalding hot coffee from spilling but not saved by the drink being dumped onto her from the stranger holding it. She looked up and spluttered quite indignantly at the convict of the crime, who was looking at her sheepishly, muttering apologies at her. She was taken aback by the bright green eyes that stared back at her. Absent-mindedly mumbling about how she didn’t have time for this and that she was going to be late now she looked crossly at the raven-haired stranger who just ruined her morning. He seemed genuinely sorry and even offered to buy her new clothes from the nearby stores so she wouldn’t be late to work, she shrugged and said that it was okay and walked out faster than he could say sorry again.

Now walking into work with her changed work clothes that she kept for emergencies in her office, she sat down for the meeting for the aquarium building project they had been assigned. She was surprised to see the green-eyed boy from the café in the conference room too. She was still miffed about the fact that he had ruined a perfectly good day for her but decided to act somewhat civil for now. Turns out that the green-eyed boy was the son of the owner of Olympia Aquariums and was here to oversee the workings of the designing of the new project that was happening. Percy Jackson, a remarkable Marine biologist at 24, son of the famous Poseidon Olympia. Annabeth didn’t expect this when she first walked in the conference room, he looked under-dressed for someone who was the sole heir to Olympia Aquariums, the company with hundreds of aquariums all around the country. Annabeth of course, was glad that she didn’t act rashly and do anything impulsive towards Percy. No matter how much of a talented employee Annabeth was and how her boss would have hated to fire her, she was sure that her boss would have hated to lose this project much more.

* * *

The next few days were spent working on various blueprints and spending her time with Luke and Piper, her best friend. She was approached by Percy two weeks into the aquarium project to apologize again, although his eyes had a certain twinkle that she knew was meant to be amusement.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to apologize again. Just don’t laugh at me now” she replied.

“What! Laughing? Who is laughing at you Ms. Chase?” he said sounding serious although she could see the corners of his mouth lift upwards and his eyes dancing with amusement.

“Just Annabeth is fine and I am talking about you Percy, you don’t need to pretend otherwise.”

“Okay ‘Just Annabeth’, I won’t pretend that it wasn’t funny the way you looked then at the café with coffee spilled down your front” he said breaking into a laugh now at my expense.

Needless to say, Annabeth was annoyed and somewhat smiling though she would deny it if anyone asked.

It was easy to be friends with Percy after that. He liked to joke around the office, although he was always serious about work and very diligent about it too. He never used the fact that his father was the owner of O. Aquariums and gave everyone an equal chance. He was a clear leader and people liked him.

* * *

It was one day after work hours on a Friday when Percy had invited her and some of the others out for drinks that they really got talking though. There was Grover Underwood, Percy’s best friend and an employee at O. Aquariums along with Travis and Connor Stoll, and Juniper Green, Katie Gardner and Robert Damasen from Annabeth’s office. It looks like the Stoll brothers and Robert (aka Bob) have succeeded in thoroughly annoying Katie. Grover and Juniper are both talking together shyly, in hushed whispers and that leaves Annabeth with Percy. They get talking and that is when Annabeth learns that Percy never had a serious girlfriend before, which is hard to believe because Percy is handsome and as much as Annabeth hates to admit it, it is true. He explains that he grew up in a broken family, witnessing arguments almost daily between his parents and he since then he lost all faith in love with a sad laugh. Annabeth certainly didn’t expect him to open up so much, so soon but she finds it easy to talk to Percy about anything and everything. She tells (gushes to) him about Luke, and how he is one of the best things to have happened in her life and that the feeling of love is magical, Percy finds it silly how she could love someone like that and tells her that love like that doesn’t exist, not in real life anyway. Annabeth disagrees but decides to leave that topic for some other day. They talk about other things work, movies and the existence of aliens included and Annabeth is surprised how easily the conversation flows. She thinks it may be the number of drinks she already has consumed but that doesn’t seem to be it, their easy, playful banter is something she can easily see happening even without alcohol running in her system.

The next day she meets Luke and finds herself missing the playful banter with Percy. Luke is much more serious whereas Percy’s words are almost always practically dripping with sarcasm. She forces the thoughts out of her mind, even if Percy is a good friend now, she knows that she loves Luke so much that she sees herself growing old with him. Luke and her, it is perfect, it is meant to be she knows.

* * *

Annabeth finds herself in a good rhythm thereafter, she spends most of her day working with blueprints, consulting a colleague or one of the employees from O. A. sometimes. Lunch with Percy, Grover, Juniper, Katie, Bobby and the Stoll brothers is always fun. Usually Katie is annoyed by the end of it because of Travis’ antics but Annabeth suspects she secretly likes it. Grover and Juniper are walking on the edge of being together, their shy glances and flushed cheeks makes that abundantly clear. Most days Percy accompanies her in the subway back home, New York traffic is pain in the ass to deal with, claiming he lives in Upper East side in Manhattan too. That is why she isn’t surprised to find him in a grocery store wearing sweatpants and a t shirt as opposed to his usual work clothes. She is out with Luke, he is helping her get groceries for her apartment, she forgot to pick some out the last time and when he came over and saw the empty cupboards of her kitchen after he told her he was cooking, he insisted to go with her.

She sees Percy’s eyes light up when he recognizes who is in front of him and he raises his to wave at her. He walks over confidently, Luke now turning to see why Annabeth has stopped. He raises his eyebrows in question.

“Hey Annabeth! I knew you lived in the neighborhood but wow, I didn’t expect to see you around here” he says.

“So where do you think I buy my groceries from then?” she replies, eyes full of mirth, “anyways meet my boyfriend Luke. Luke, this is Percy, he is working with me for the Aquarium project.”

“Oh, so is he the one who threw his coffee all over you?” replies Luke coolly, already knowing the answer to his question, his eyes twinkling now.

Percy laughs, “I didn’t know you introduced me like that to everyone. Hi Luke, I have heard a lot about you, nice to finally meet you” he says sticking his hand out for Luke to shake. Luke complies, replying with a curt “Likewise”.

“Well… I will see you around then Percy” Annabeth finally says.

Percy nods, a smile gracing his lips, salutes her and then heads in the other direction. Annabeth shakes her head at his antics, smiling wide herself. Luke is standing solemnly by her side.

“He seems nice” he says finally. Annabeth just nods.

* * *

At the office, one day Annabeth walks in feeling like death. She had an argument with Luke, probably over something petty seeing how she doesn’t even remember what it was about now. Her head hurts and tears are swimming in her eyes, threatening to fall over. Still Annabeth keeps her head up and makes a beeline for her desk. Percy catches her eye from across the room and he walks over. Annabeth immerses herself into her work, going over blueprints again and correcting some minor mistakes. Percy is at her desk now and she stops herself from showing him any emotion but Percy seems to have sensed her emotions or something because he places a gentle hand on her shoulder and rubs his thumb in small soothing circles. He doesn’t say anything, just brings out a bag of blue chocolate chip cookies and gives her one. Annabeth doesn’t really want to eat anything but the amazing smell of the cookies have convinced her stomach otherwise and she eats one. It feels like heaven despite the odd coloring, the chocolate chips melt in her mouth immediately and she is pretty sure that this is the best thing she ever consumed. She feels her mood lift immediately. Percy just smiles looking at her practically inhaling his cookies and joins her in eating them. The cookies are over in no time and Annabeth is slightly disappointed but she feels loads better.

“So, Luke?” he says finally, wiping at a cookie crumb at the corner of his mouth.

“How did you know?” she asks and he just shrugs. “I could just tell; I don’t know really.”

“Why blue cookies? And honestly thank you, they tasted like the food of the gods.”

“It’s a tradition, my mom always makes blue food. Blue food just tastes better you know, and I know my mom’s chocolate chip cookies are always the best” he replies, a small smile gracing his lips, his eyes shining with love for his mother. Annabeth smiles, a rare full smile at Percy, her eyes grateful.

* * *

Annabeth still has arguments with Luke, they have been getting more frequent recently but Percy is always there with his mom’s chocolate chip cookies and his comforting presence. Annabeth sees herself grow closer to Percy, he is like her best friend now, almost as good of a friend to her as Piper is. She wonders sometimes what it would be like to date Percy, he seems like trouble at first glance but the more she is getting to know him, the more she knows otherwise. She shakes the thought out of her mind, she loves Luke.

Still, she can’t help but think about Percy. He is definitely handsome, his tanned skin glows in the sunlight and his eyes are probably his best feature, she has never seen such bright, unique eyes, like the swirling ocean. Annabeth thinks about him when she first wakes up and he is her last thought when she sleeps, and basically everything in between. She feels guilty about it, she is in a relationship with Luke and here she is thinking about other men but Luke feels withdrawn these days and Percy is always there for her. He was there for her when she broke down after a particularly bad argument with Luke, rubbing her back soothingly and distracting her mind from the matter at hand.

She thinks about Percy even when she is with Luke, she can’t help but compare the two. She feels guilty about it, actually very guilty about and she calls up her mother for advice.

“Every relationship goes through their ups and downs dear. And you found a friend in Percy who is helping you through it so you can’t help but think about him. You want Luke to be what Percy is being for you now, someone you can hold on to when you are hurt and that is alright Annabeth.”

Annabeth understands and agrees but she starts to question it when she looks at Percy one day and thinks about what it would be like to press her lips to his and kiss him. It is then she realizes that she is falling for Percy.

She looks at him and wonders what it would be like if Percy called her his girlfriend. He slings his arm across her shoulders and she questions why Percy is so touchy, so considerate towards her. She knows he is touchier than most people, he prefers hugs to waves and handshakes but she notices how he does it much more with her than any of his other friends she knows. She asks herself if Percy feels the same way towards her too and somehow, she thinks it to be true.

It is then that she decides to tell Percy about her feelings because she doesn’t think she can keep it in her any longer. Annabeth asks him to meet her at Central Park one Saturday, he agrees and she tells him. Annabeth tells him that she likes him, she can’t look up to face his expression. He is stricken, eyes wide and mouth open. The first thing from his mouth isn’t what she expected.

“What about Luke?” he asks, his voice small. This makes Annabeth look up, he looks shocked.

“I will tell him that I don’t love him anymore” she replies.

“B-but Annabeth!” he says and she can hear the exasperation in his voice, “why would you? I mean, I don’t love you. I don’t. I thought I told you already that I was never going to fall in love. Did I ever do anything to make you think otherwise? Did I ever lead you on?”

Her heart breaks, the rejection clear, he looks sorry but also confused and shocked. “No, No Percy!” she replies, her voice breaking a little, “you never lead me on, I just – I just read the signs wrong and I needed to tell you once. That’s it.”

And then she turns on her heel and walks away, tears streaming down her face.


End file.
